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Nashville News and Notes for MONDAY

GeorgeStrait is once again the Academy of Country Music's Entertainer of the Year. The country great captured the event's highest honor for the first time in more than 20 years at the 49th annual ACM Awards, which aired Sunday on CBS. In accepting his prize, Strait gave credit to his loyal followers.

It was also a big night for Miranda Lambert. She captured a few awards at the event, including her record-setting fifth consecutive Female Vocalist of the Year title. Other winners included Justin Moore, who became emotional while accepting his New Artist of the Year trophy. The Band Perry expressed their appreciation for their Vocal Group of the Year recognition, and Jason Aldean scored his second straight Male Vocalist title.

The star-packed ceremony also included plenty of performances. Brad Paisley debuted his new single, "River Bank," while Blake Shelton teamed up with Shakira on their new collaboration, "Medicine." Faith Hill got a big hand when she joined husband Tim McGraw for his performance. Lady Antebellum performed twice -- once with Stevie Nicks and later with Darius Rucker. The Band Perry launched the ceremony, while Eric Church and Keith Urban were among the many other performers. Merle Haggard was also honored with a tribute from Strait and Lambert. But presenter Garth Brooks didn't forget Hag also was turning 77 on Sunday, and had the crowd sing "Happy Birthday" in Merle's honor. The 49th annual ACM Awards were presented in Las Vegas, and aired on CBS Sunday night.

Merle Haggard has a few more well wishers for his birthday this year. The country legend turned 77 on Sunday, which wasn't forgotten at the Academy of Country Music Awards. During the CBS broadcast, Garth Brooks, GeorgeStrait, and Miranda Lambert led the crowd in singing "Happy Birthday" to him.

But that wasn't the only reason why Haggard was recognized at the event. He's this year's Crystal Milestone Award recipient, in honor of his lengthy and successful career. Before Brooks encouraged the crowd to acknowledge Hag's birthday, he introduced the tribute performance featuring Lambert and Strait. After the birthday song, Merle gave a short acceptance, saying country music had been "great" to him all his life. He also thanked everyone for taking part in one of his "most eventful evenings." The 49th annual ACM Awards were presented in a ceremony in Las Vegas Sunday night, and aired live on CBS.

Brad Paisley Debuts New Single During ACM Awards

Brad Paisley is showing off his new single, "River Bank." Paisley debuted his newest track during Sunday's ACM Awards in Las Vegas.

Paisley performed the song to a poolside crowd at Las Vegas' MGM Grand. During the performance he even gave one fan a moment to remember when a woman threw her smartphone up to the singer, prompting him to take a picture of the crowd. Leading up to the awards ceremony, Brad had been teasing the new track through videos on YouTube, telling fans to "get ready for the 'River Bank.'" The song is the first single from his forthcoming follow-up to his 2013 album "Wheelhouse." While Paisley took the stage during the awards ceremony, he didn't receive a single nomination.

Toby Keith: Country Music "Would Be Empty" Without GeorgeStrait

Toby Keith is reflecting on the career of fellow country star GeorgeStrait, as the final dates of the "Cowboy Rides Away" tour draw closer.

It looks like Keith and country music fans can look forward to more music from Strait, who signed a deal with Capitol last year for several more albums. Strait says he's been "enjoying every minute" of his farewell tour, and intends to be a part of the business for as long as he can. He adds that it's "unbelievable" to still be "current" and "nominated for awards," as he was at Sunday night's Academy of Country Music awards. Strait's final "Cowboy Rides Away" show is set to take place on June 7th at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Sheryl Crow, Ronnie Dunn, Vince Gill and Faith Hill are among the stars expected to join him onstage.

Country Stars Remain In Vegas To Tape ACM Concert Special

A number of country stars are extending their stay in Las Vegas to honor the men and women of the military. Miranda Lambert will be teaming up with husband Blake Shelton to perform on "ACM Presents: An All-Star Salute to the Troops." Rascal Flatts and the Eli Young Band are some of the latest additions to the lineup, while presenters will include country star and Army veteran Craig Morgan as well as "Criminal Minds" star Joe Mantegna and retired Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell.

Tim McGraw, Toby Keith, and Carrie Underwood are among the many other performers slated for the show. "NCIS: Los Angeles" stars LL Cool J and Chris O'Donnell are set to host the concert event, which will be taped at the MGM Grand Garden Arena Monday night. "ACM Presents: An All-Star Salute to the Troops" will air on CBS on May 20th.

Darius Rucker To Sing Anthem At NCAA Championship Game

Darius Rucker says he's excited about being involved in the NCAA men's basketball championship. The singer admits he feels honored to perform "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the start of Monday's event, and adds that the venue makes it "a thrill of a lifetime." Rucker will deliver the national anthem accompanied by the local high school ensemble Jazz Singers at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The NCAA National Championship game will air live on CBS at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.

Stevie Nicks Joins Lady Antebellum At ACM Awards

Lady Antebellum's Charles Kelly is speaking about getting the chance to perform with Stevie Nicks at Sunday night's Academy of Country Music Awards. Kelly says it was Stevie herself who dreamed up their collaboration.

Nicks joined the country trio on stage to perform the title track off their most recent album "Golden." Charles called the Fleetwood Mac singer inspiring, describing the opportunity to share the stage with Nicks at the ACM Awards as one of the most special things for them in their career "by far." It's not the first time Stevie has teamed up with Lady Antebellum. They joined forces last September for an episode of "CMT Crossroads."

Florida Georgia Line Talk Balancing Private, Professional Lives

Winning another Academy of Country Music Award may make it a little harder to keep things simple, but that's just what Florida Georgia is trying to do as their career continues to grow. Tyler Hubbard says he and bandmate Brian Kelley, who picked up the Vocal Duo of the Year trophy at Sunday's ACM ceremony, make an effort to keep things balanced.

Hubbard says they're "loving every minute of it," and notes that it's getting easier to make those adjustments as they go along. One such adjustment was the addition of a couple buses to their tour, which Hubbard says has made life on the road more comfortable for everyone. Florida Georgia Line will be on the move again later this week for a string of shows in Canada.

Hunter Hayes Featured On Latest "ACM Sessions"

Hunter Hayes is the latest star to be featured on the Academy of Country Music's "ACM Sessions." The singer's installment of the online series includes a performance as well as a behind-the-scenes look at his "We're Not Invisible" tour and an interview with the ACM's "Lisa Lee. His set includes a special performance of his first chart-topping hit, 2012's "Wanted. Hayes' "ACM Sessions" is available for viewing now at CBS.com. A link to "ACM Sessions" is under the "Shows" tab. Fans can also watch previous "ACM Sessions" featuring Luke Bryan, Justin Moore, and others.

Country Stars Have Fun, Raise Money at ACM Golf Tournament

Darius Rucker says he's thrilled to once again host the Academy of Country Music's annual charity golf tournament. He led a list of country stars participating the event, which took place in Las Vegas on Saturday. Many of the artists involved, including Lady Antebellum's Charles Kelley, Frankie Ballard, and Scotty McCreery, admit they love the sport. They add that while their game isn't as good as they'd like, they all had fun supporting the cause. The 2014 ACM Lifting Lives Celebrity Golf Classic raises money for the Diane Holcomb Emergency Relief Fund, which provides immediate assistance to people in need.

ACM Awards To Head To Dallas, Texas Next Year

The Academy of Country Music Awards are heading to Cowboy country. At Sunday's awards ceremony in Las Vegas, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and this year's Entertainer of the Year, GeorgeStrait, announced that the 50th ACM Awards will be held at the home of the Dallas Cowboys -- AT&T Stadium.

This will be the first time the venue has hosted the ACM Awards. The ceremony will take place nearly one year from now on April 19th, 2015. Tickets for the show will begin going on sale April 10th at ACMCountry.com. While Jerry Jones traveled all the way to Las Vegas to make the announcement, co-hosts Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton slightly stole his thunder by revealing the move at the top of the show. After Luke made the announcement, Blake remarked on the rarity of having an awards ceremony at Cowboys Stadium, prompting Luke to joke that "you never see a playoff game there either."

Country TV Tonight

LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN (CBS) Gary Allan performs on this repeat episode.

Country Birthdays Include

Bobby Bare is 79.

Today In Country Music History

Today in 1986, the "High Notes" album by Hank Williams Jr. was certified Gold, while his album "The Pressure Is On" was certified Platinum.

Today in 1990, Farm Aid Four was held at the Indiana Hoosierdome. Performers included Willie Nelson, Neil Young, Kris Kristofferson, and John Mellencamp.

Today in 1992, Mark Chesnutt made his "Tonight Show" debut.

Today in 1997, the "Strait From The Heart" album by GeorgeStrait was certified Platinum.

Today in 1998, Shania Twain's single "You're Still The One" was certified Gold.

Today in 1999, the "Come On Over" album by Shania Twain was certified for sales of ten-million, while the "VH1 Behind The Music" video featuring Shania was certified Gold and Platinum.

Today in 2000, Toby Keith's single "How Do You Like Me Now!?" remained in the number one spot on the "Billboard" and "Radio & Records" charts for a fifth consecutive week.

Today in 2003, Toby Keith was the big winner at the CMT Flameworthy 2003 Video Music Awards.

Today in 2007, Bucky Covington made his Grand Ole Opry TV debut.

Today in 2008, former Lonestar lead singer Richie McDonald hosted "The Celebration," a two-day golf and music event benefiting Feed The Children and The Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation. Steve Azar, former Trick Pony members Heidi Newfield and Ira Dean, and the Oak Ridge Boys were among the participants in the event.

Today in 2008, Martina McBride, LeAnn Rimes, Brooks & Dunn, Amy Grant, Vince Gill, and Montgomery Gentry's Troy Gentry were some of the stars taking part in the 9th Annual Best Cellars Dinner in Nashville. The charity event raised 80-thousand-dollars for the T.J. Martell Foundation and the Frances Williams Preston Laboratories at the Vanderbilt-IngramCancerCenter.

Today in 2008, Jack Ingram and Emerson Drive took part in launching the new baseball season. Ingram sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the Houston Astros' home opener against the St. Louis Cardinals, while the Canadian band performed the U.S. national anthem before the Chicago White Sox played their first home game against the Minnesota Twins.

Today in 2008, Blake Shelton's video for his hit single "Home" premiered on CMT.

Today in 2009, previews began for the Broadway production "9 to 5: The Musical" at the Marquis Theater in New York City. Dolly Parton was a key figure in crafting the theatrical adaptation of the 1980 film "9 to 5," and wrote all the music for the Broadway show.